
Class 
Book_ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



5 




•^ 



^1vf\ -B'^-l 



By H.H.Bennett 



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ri \ 




THE EVENING WISCONSIN CO., PRINTERS MILWAUKEE. 



COPYRIGHTED BY H. H. BENNETT, 1896. 



auto0rapb0 of ®ur partp anb ■(lnci^cnts of ®ur 5ta\) at tbe S)cUs. 



TLbc WiiQConQin 2>eUs. 



In calling the attention of the readers of this little book to the 
rare beauty and wonders of the region it attempts to describe, we feel 
that we are only perforuiinfj a ]ileasant duty we owe every lover of 
the pii-tures(iue and hcautifiil in nature. As it may come to the notice 
of some who have never visited the Dells of the "Wisconsin, we be- 
lieve the tirst information given should be as to locality and Imw to 
best reach the place. In brief, then, the Dells are about one hundred 
and tweuty-five miles above where the AVisconsiu River empties into 
the jMississi]ipi at Prairie du t'hien, a little south and west of what 
would be considered the center of the state. Four daily jiassenger 
trains from Chicago and Milwaukee on the east and from Minneapolis 
and St.Paul on the north west,over the direct route between these points 
of the Chicago, ^Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, afford ready comuiu- 
nication with all j'-irts of the country with the little Village of Kil- 
bouru City, Wisconsin; and here, reader, you are invited to stop and 
look about a little, and we leave the probability of your stay for 
the summer, or the repetition of your visit, to be settled in your own 
mind, after a day in the Dells. Our hotel accommodations are excel- 
lent, and for such as prefer the quiet of a home, jirivate boarding 
houses offer all that can be desired. Safe, j)leasaut and commodious 
steamers, under the efficient management of the "Wisconsin Dells Re- 
sort Company," jily the river subject to the order of tourists within 
such limits as to time as will best accommodate all their patrons. 

Tlie Dells consist of a series of Potsdam sandstone cliffs extend- 
ing about seven miles along the banks of the Wisconsin River. By 
the action of the water these cliffs, soft and friable, have been cut into 
such grotesque, curious and beautiful forms, and of such endless vari- 
ety, that the eye never tires of looking at them. The ride on the 



river is not tlic least among the attractions of a visit here. The stream 
at the head of the Dells is broad and shallow and dotted with a bevy 
of lovely green islands, heavily timbered with oak, willow and a 
sprinkling of evergreens. As it enters the pass between the cliffs the 
river narrows and deepens, till nudway down it is confined for a mile 
to less than a hundred feet, and in one place the rocky shoi'es have 
hugged the stream into the space of fifty-two feet. The rocks on 
either side are covered with flowers and ferns and mosses down to the 
water's edge, and these, under tlie l)right sun, are most charmingly 
reproduced in the still waters below. Through this delightful passage 
by sunlight and by moonlight, the little steamer ploughs its way, and 
old and young, and everybody, tell us it is passing beautiful. No little 
pains and expense have been taken to make the more remarkable 
glens and canons accessible for ladies and it is possible to visit 
"Witches' Gulch," "Coldwater Canon," "Rood's Glen," and a hun- 
dred other points of interest, with ease and comfort. All these ra- 
vines and caverns unnumbered abound in the curious, the wild and 
the weird. 

As to the best way ti> see the Dells, those who have tried it will cer- 
tainly tell you to take the steamer for the up-stream trip, but before 
leaving the landing to engage a guide, with his staunch and comfortable 
keel boat to bringyou back, thus givingan opportunityofseeingso much 
in detail that is not seen or realized from the steamer's deck, an<l 
where landing a steamboat is impossible. The guides here are strong, 
capable, courteous and obliging gentlemen, who have spent 3'ears in 
their work, thereby becoming expert with oars and the management 
of their boats, knowing W'here everything of interest is to be found, 
with certain knowledge of the location of every sand bar or reef of 



rock. If for any reason you choose to he your owu guide and oars- 
man they will furnish you a boat to be tal.en up by the steamer; or, 
the trip can be made both ways on the steamer, which affords time to 
visit Coldwater Canon and Witches' Gulch. Two round trips are made 
each day, in both forenoon and afternoon, and, in addition, occasional 
moonlight excursions, ■nhicli are particularly enjoyable. 

Occasionally Indians are to be met about the Dells now, but no 
longer ago than the late IS'iO's there were great numbers of them here, 
subsisting chiefly by hunting and fishing, the river yielding large 
quantities of sturgeon, catfish, pickerel, bass and many other varieties 
of fish to their expert use of spear and line. Then, and prior to that 
time, there were three tribes here, Chippewas, Menomonees and 
AVinnebagoes, easily distinguished by the color of blanket worn. The 
languages of these tribes differed quite materially , yet not so much so that 
they could not understand one another very well \\ ith the aid of signs. 
Later they were removedio reservations Korth and in the West. 
Is it an)' wonder they did not want to go, leaving a region so l>eautiful 
and perfectly adapted to their life, and that the}' should protest em- 

jihatically against being com- 
pelled to go, even to the ex- 
tent of deciding in their coun- 
cils, as the Winnebagoes did, 
who were the last to be taken 
away (about 1870), tliat they 
would fightif necessary rather 
than be removed to Nebraska? 
But their war spirit fled when 
a few troops came and they 
went peacefully, though many 
of them came back on foot, 
reaching here sooner than 
the agents who took them 
away did by modern convey- 
iiii.i.uw iiiiMji.K. ance. 




Among those who owned land and so could not lie compelled to go 
was Yellow Thunder (Wah-kon-ja-z-gah), a warrior chief; though one 
hundred and twenty years old at the time of the removal of his tribe, 
his war spirit was aroused to such 
an extent that he counseled re- 
sistance, even to the shedding the 
last drop of his pepole's blood. 
His farm, acquired under An- 
drew Jackson's administration, 
was located about five miles from 
the foot of the Dells and consisted 
of a forty-acre tract, quite well 
cultivated, and on which there 
was a log house, but the old man 
preferred to live in a tent (Wouc- 
chig-ah-che-dah) close by, exce|it 
at times when he was desirous of 
adopting the customs of civiliza- 
tion, then he would sleep in the 
house, inside the rails of an old 
bedstead, upon the ground, the 
house having no floor. 

A belief of the older ones of 
these people i.s that a j>art of their 
life goes into a picture taken of themselves, this superstition was a 
source of trouble, not to say danger, to an artist who managed to get 
a picture of Yellow Thunder in the autumn preceding the spring in 
which he died, because many of his tribe believed that in some mys- 
terious way the jirocess of making the picture had absorlied what 
should have been the remaining j-ears of his life. 

They are an interesting people, full of tradition, superstition and 
beliefs that will amuse, if not be instructive, to any one who can gain 
their good will and so persuade them to talk of themselves. 




NAI!-jr-ZF-GAH — BROWN EYES. 



"Any attempt at description of the Dells would be incomplete 
■without "reference to the studio of II. II. Bennett, located in Kilbourn, 
whose views of the Dells tirst brought them to the notice of the out- 
side world, and which have attained a degree of photographic and 
artistic merit that has given him rank with the best landscape i.hoto 
artists of the world. 
At his place you will 
tind a large and varied 
collection of pictures, 
not alone of the Dells, 
but of the surround- 
ing scenic attractions. 
Not the least of the 
pleasure of our visit 
to the Dells was the 
time spent in the 
Bennett studio." 

The accompany- 
ing illustrations are 
half-tone reproduc- 
tions from a few of 
the many hundred 
excellent photo- 
graphic views em- 
braced in :Mr. Ben- 
nett's collection. 

Candor requires 
a u d i n I' 1 i n a t i 1 1 n 

prompts the statement, that in the preparation of this b<Jok, liberal 
use has been made of the contents of a "Guide for Tourists," published 
some years ago by Mr. F. O. Wisner, and for which we cheerfully 
acknowledge obligati(jn. 



principal points in tbc lllpper Dells. 

Anoel Rock is situated about one-half mile from the steamer 
landing, on the right hand side of the river as you go up the stream, 

and is a rugged pro- 
jection, curiously 
shaped. It is also 
called Marble Rock, 
from the peculiar, lit- 
tle, round lumps of 
sandstone found on 
the ledge and in the 
river below. 

Swallows' Rock, 
or where the swallows 
live, is a little further 
along on the same 
side. In early spring 
and summer, thou- 
sands of beautiful lit- 
tle swallows may be 
seen here filling the 
air and in the brown 
clitls, occupying in- 
numerable holes in 
the rock, safe from 




LOWER JAWS OP THE DELLS. 



danger, and the happiest family to be found anywhere. 

The J.vws of the Dells, or entrance to the Dells proper, are 
guarded bv two immense rocks, standing like sentinels on duty and 
sternlv looking down in their stately grandeur, as if disputing the 



right of man fo explore the intricate passage beyond. Tlie roclc on 
the right is called 

High Eock, and rises seventy-five feet above the river. It pre- 
sents a rugged, rough aspect, with curiously shaped sides, and has a 
meagre growth of stunted pines, birch and other trees and foliage. 
On the left is 

Romance Cliff, which is a grand old pile of stately rocks covered 
with a growth of trees and shrubliery. It is somewhat higher and 
more stately than its vis-a-vis, High Rock, and has more of the 

curious and wonderful in its 
make-up and general appear- 
ance. It is suggestive of the 
stately crags and beetling clifl's 
of the weird and grand scen- 
ery of the Rocky Mountains. 
Legends and Indian romances 
are told of this wonderful clitT. 

Chimney Rock. — This is 
one of Nature's singular freaks, 
left standing for innumerable 
ages, formed by the action of 
the wild waters, looking like 
the old-fashioned stick-and- 
mortar chimney of the days of 
the forefathers. It stands just 
beyond High Rock. 

Echo Cove. — A most pleas- 
ing echo can be had here, and 
it is a beautiful place for bath- 
ing and enjoying a quiet hour 
CHIMNEY KocK AND HiiiH HOCK. In a cool, plcasaut retreat. 

The Old Dell House at Allen's Landing, on the left, is one of the 
oldest houses in this part of the country. It is a block house, made of 





scmare timber originally, but in later years covered with siding, built 
by Robert V. Allen in 1S37-S, who keptit asii tavern for many years, he 
also established a ferr}' across the river at this point, it being one of the 
principal lines of travel for the pioneers from the Great Lakes to the 
Mississippi and the Pineries of Wisconsin. Then came the develop- 
ment of the pine lumber industries of the upper AVi8<-on6in and its 
tributaries and the manufacture of vast quantities of lumber, which 
could only be got to market by rafting and floating it down the river 
to points on the Mississippi, where it could be used or from whence 
it could be conveye<l inland for consuuijition. So, in time, this river 
became one of the greatest highways for the conveying of lumber of 
any of the tributaries of the Mississippi. Those were booming days 
fur the old place, a point where the raftsmen could obtain supplies of 
food and liquid refreshment, for which they had various names. In 
extreme high water all the rafts that came from above had to be tied 
up at the head of the Dells, three miles farther up the stream, to 
await the fallng of the water to such a stage as would make the run- 
ning of the Narrows less dangerous; at such times great numbers of 
rafts, covering many acres, would accumulate around the mouth of 
Witches' Gulch and among the islands beyond, if the river remained 
very high, as it did many days almost every spring flood. As soon as 
the flood subsided enough to make the passage of the Narrows possi- 
ble by having several men on an oar, there was a busy time, each 
pilot striving to get bis fleet through to the quiet water in the eddy at 
the Dell House first. This having to put several men cjnto au oar 
through the Narrows necessitated a number of trips for each ci'ew to 
bring their respective fleets through this part of the Dells, and "giging 
back" (walking) from the Dell House to the head of the Dells. By 
far the larger part of the raftsmen in those days were not prominent 
as " Sons of Temperance " or kindred organizations, at least not con- 
sistent members, and would, on landing safely at the Dell House, par- 
take freely of the concentrated river water kept there for emergencies; 
if the trip had not been successful and the raft had been broken 



up, then something nnift he taken to the BUCceBB of the next trip; if 
one of the crew had heen loEt in the mad waters, partaking of BOK-e- 
thing in token of good wishes for liiB hereafter was not to be neg- 
lected by any means, and some- 
times like token was deemed 
necespary for the welfare of 
eai'h of his surviving relatives, 
and BO the old place became 
Ihe scene of many a boisterous 
time, which may be all the 
fdiindation there is for the 
stnries of the horrible crimes 
committed in and about the 
place in tbe early days. To- 
day no "Yellow River howl" 
announcesthe arrival of a fleet 
from that trilnuary, and we 
need not expect to meet lum- 
ber from Grand Rapids, or any 
(if thebigmillsabove; the rail- 
roads have got into the Pine- 
ries, and all tlie lumber goes to 
market in that way, the rafts- 
men are gone, but the old house 
^tands there, wiudowless and 
deserted, open to everyone 
who may choose to visit its 
tenantless rooms. 
Chapel Gorge.— This is the next interesting place, is above the 
Dell House and on the right. It is named from the peculiarly shaped 
rock at its entrance, resembling a pulpit in a place of worship. The 
Gorge is pleasant and shady. 

Boat Cave i.s just beyond the Gorge and may be explored with 
small boats. It should always be visited to be appreciated, although 




BOAT CAVE. 



a general idea may be had from the steamer's deck. It is one of the 
most peculiar formations, showing the action of the water upon tbe 
soft sandstone, and is one of the ].laces where the guides can get fire 
out of the water. 

Circle Bend, where the river and rocks form a half circle. The 
rocks are high and bold, presenting a cliff of solid masonry, formed 
and carved and hewn an<l worn into a wall of adamant by the action 
of the whirling waters. Its top is covered with a dense growth of 
cedar, hemlock, pine, birch, oak 
and all the many varieties of ferns 
and shrubbery tbat so abundantly 
abound throughout the Dells. 

Sturgeon Rock, <m left, is a 
bold, projecting point. Here we 
enter ui)on the looked-for wild 
grandeur of the Dells. On the 

right is the 

Navy Yard.— To our mind this 

is the most picturesque and won- 
derful formation on the river. Here 

we have one of the most striking 

and natural "Navies" to be found 

in the world. Neither perishable 

wooden or iron ships, formed and 

modeled by man, but those built by 

the hands of Ilim who hath formed 

all the wonders of nature. Huge 

stone vessels of war, these, with 

prows and sides and ribs so solid 

and staunch that for ages they have 

withstood the battles and warruig of 

the waters, and as time has rolled ..n they have become more complete 

and shapely in form and build. Bold guardians are they of the Narrows, 




The Giant's Hand is in a grotto between two of the bulks 
near the lower end of the Navy Yard. About two feet of the sleeve 
and ten feet of a left hand of stone is seen above the water and 
laid palm against the hulk in the right, as you view it from a row 
boat, so perfect in form that j'ou wonder if to drain the water 
away fifty or more feet deep here would not disclose the Giant to 
whom it belongs; leastways it is quite perfect enough to prove the 
truth of an Indian legend, the substance of which is, that the vessels 
of the Navy Yard are some of C'ortez' ships that came exploring in 
this northern country and the explorers treated the Indians so 
badlj' as to anger their God, who in his wrath laid his hand on the 
ships and turned them to stone. 

Eatox (tRotto is a long, deep opening extending far into the 
rugged wall of rock, on the opposite side from the Kavy Yard. 

Skylight Cave is a very^sigiilar opening to that of Eaton (Irotto, 
and is just at the head of the Navy Yard. Here, with a small boat, you 
can seek the deep recess of the rock, lighted by a little rift in the rocks 
overhead. It is a delightful ]ilace to visit. 

Glen Eykie is on the right, and extends back from the river 
nearly a mile. It is a delightful place for a ramble, and is filled witli 
beautiful ferus and flowers. Across it, near the river, there is a foot 
bridge for the convenience of those who love to ramble along the 
river bank, one of the many improvements made by the "Dells Kesort 
Company." 

The Naeeows ok Black Hawk's Leap. — Here the river suddenly 
narrows to the width of only Jift;/-fifo feet, and the water is cir/ht!/ feet 
in depth. The river is now running upon its edge, hemmed in on 
either side by ponderous rocks. In low water the current is nearly as 
calm and placid as at any point on the Dells, but when the river is up, 
the raging waters come pouring through this narrow gorge with ter- 
rific force. 



The Old Briuge.— About the year 184S, Mr. Schuyler S. G^tes 
erected a substantial bridge across the Narrows. This was the first bridge 
ever built across the AVisconsin, and was used for a number of years 
or until the railroad 
bridge was built at 
Kilbourn. Tliou- 
sands of teams and 
passengers paid toll 
here. It was carried 
away by the high 
water of 1S(J6. 

The Devil's El- 
bow is t h e point 
where the river 
makes an almost 
Bcjuare turn just at 
the entrance of the 
Narrows. 

Blai'k Hawk's 
Cave c an no w be 
seen on the left 
hand. It was here, 
the legend hath it, 
where the old chief 
hid safe and secure 
in the days of the 

Black Hawk war ; and there is another story, that he leaped his 
pony from bank to bank to elude his pursuers. Of course we would 
not dispute the romance by questioning the authenticity of this won- 
derful feat. 

Notch Rock. — This was the raftman's dread of the Narrows. It is 
a square, boulder-looking rock on the left, and is known as liaftman's 




THE OLD BIIIDGE. 



8 



Terror, on which, in high water, rafts were often broken and lives lost. 
You can see it close down to the water's edge. 

Rattlesnake Rock is the high crag or solitary looking rock on the 
left, just liack of Notch Rock. It is covered with slirubbery. 

SLiDiNti Rocks arc here upon either side of the stream, and are so 
called from their peculiar formation — the sides being oval shaped and 
sliding inward, throwing the water to the center of the stream. 

Artist's Glen. — This is one of the most beautiful ravines on the 
river. It is on the right, nearly opposite Rattlesnake Rock. This 
glen is delightful for jiicnic grounds, and has a large number of fine 
butternut and other trees, affording an elegant retreat. Just beyond, 
among the trees, high up from the river, is 

The L.vkks — neither birds, nor a lot of young men out for a time, 
but a cozy building erected by the "Dells Resort Company" for a 
restuarant and dancing hall, with wide verandas, from which fine 
views, both th.iwn into the Narrows and up the river, are afforded, 
while across the river you can see for some distance down the 

Old Channel op tue River, now choked by a high sand bank, 
which is on the left in going up the river; but, high as it is in low 
water, some seasons the spring floods raise the river high enough bo 
that a part of the stream runs over it and around a large tract of land, 
coming out and uniting again wdth the main river, near the old Dell 
House, forming an island. About half a mile back from the old Dell 
House there is another branch, without water now, except a small 
creek part of the way, leading south and then east, joining the present 
river again a short distance below the railroad bridge at Kilbourn. 
Much of the way this old channel is as well defined as the present 
river, and as interesting, several isolated rocks of strange shapes, that 
were islands, many caves and grottoes in the high cliffs, along either 
side, much of the distance. 

If you are strong take a tramp through the old channel some time 
in the autumn, when the day is not too warm, and you will enjoy it; 
but if you are feeble or indolent don't try it, for there is no boule- 



vard or sidewalk there, not even a cimntry road or jiath that y(ju can 
use, but a go-as-you-please route in the woods, over old sand bars, 
through the bushes and some of the way in the swamp, with an occa- 
sional climb to the top of a high cliff that will be rewarded by magni- 
ficent views and more extended than can be had from the low land. 

A few rods up the stream from "The Larks" and on the same side 
of the river is the mouth of 

CoLDWATEK Canon. — This canon is one of the grand features of the 
Dells. Land from the steamer, when a substantial plank walk takes 
you safely over the slack water. You proceed through the rocky 
defile and under the frowning crags, to the restaurant kept b}' Capt. 
C. D. Van Wie, who can satisfy your hunger for food and thirst for 
knowledge of the Dells, he having been for years a raftsman on the 
river, and at one time captain of one of the steamers plying on tlie 
Dells. But a little further along up the canon, you come to that 
wonderful 

Devil's Jug. — The entrance is but a short distance from Captain 
Van AVie's, and in a moment you reach a deep, wild, narrow gorge, 
walled in with rocks, which are, in some places, almost vertical, and 
in others overhanging the pathway. The gorge is so narrow tliat we 
do not see the jug until we step inside of it, and look around with 
wondering curiosity upon its splendid curves and magnificent pro- 
portions. It is, of course, a broken jug, the ravine extending through 
and beyond it for a considerable distance, and on one side the lines 
are imperfect, owing, doubtless, to the unusual hardness of the rocks, 
but the other side is hollowed into a perfect resemblance of the inside 
of an immense jug, as smoothly fashioned as if turned upon a potter's 
wheel. The entire width of the Jug is about thirty-five feet at the 
bottom, and its height is not far from seventy feet. The rift at the 
top is quite narrow, admitting light enough to see with tolerable dis- 
tinctness, but leaving the upper part of the cavern in twilight gloom. 
The gorge beyond the Jug is passable for some distance. A ramble 
through this vast canon and a visit to the Jug will afford a world of 



pleasure. All the many varieties of feriiw aud m(jsses may he gath- 
ered here. 

Ruffle Rocks are upou the left side of the stream, and would 
look well on the shirt-fronts of the giants of olden days. They adorn 
■with becoming grace the river's side. 

The Devil's Akm Chaie. — You will wonder why the d — 1 he 
should perch his chair in such a place, unless, he, too, is an admirer 
of the wonders of nature. It is on the left and but a short distance 
from Coldwater Canon. 

Clam Banks, on the right, is so called ))ecause of the shape and 
stratification of the rocks, bearing close resemblance to gigantic clam- 
Bhells. 

Lelaxd's Puixt is a striking feature of the scenery on the right 
and a little further up the river than the Clam Banks. A few rods 
beyond is 

The Pines, a name Mr. Robinson has given his new and exceed- 
ingly pretty and attractive resort. It is situated lugh above and com- 
mands a fine view of the river from both the house and grounds. 

Cameleon Cave is a seamlirtlie bank, aud can only be visited by 
climbing a ladder, going to the high bank, and then down into the 
earth. You will need a guide aud the light of a lantern to reach the 
bottom. It contains beautiful, changing mosses. It is on the right, 
just below Steamboat Rock. 

STEASimiAT Rock will challenge esi^ecial attention. It stands, an 
island, in a curious, circular cove, and vastly resembles, from some 
points, a huge ocean steamer, minus smokestack and wheel-house. It 
is probably about 250 feet long by 100 feet wide and some 40 to 50 feet 
in height, with perpendicular, rugged sides and covered with pine, 
oak and shrubbery. 

Rood's CtLEN.— This is just beyond Steamboat Rock, on the right, 
its entrance marked Ijy a little sand bar, and extending back from the 
river about six hundred feet. Similar to Coldwater Canon, or almost 
a cavern, it is a place all admire who visit it while on the down-stream 
trip in a row boat. 



Arch Cove or Paradise is a delightful place for picnic parties. 
It is from here )'ou will get the best view of the many islands at the 
head of the Dells, and a magnificent view of the -river for a long dis- 
tance. The cove is a beautiful, shady recess, and contains an elegant 
spring of pure, fresh water. It is on the left band side of the river, 
nearly opposite the mouth of 

AViTCHEs' GuLcn. — At the head of the Dells, on the right, extend- 
ing three-quarters of a mile from tlie shore, will be found this re- 
markable Gulch. The precipitous rocks tower aloft on either side to 
the height of perhaps a hundred feet, their sides being worn smooth 
and their ragged edges rounded off by the long-continued action of 
the water. One can almost touch with outstretched arms both sides of 
this gloomy gorge, which surpasses in grandeur anything hitherto 
seen in the Dells. The rocks overhead are in many places shelving 
and rounded into immense scollops. The stream through this wild 
pass is in many places waist-deep. It contains many curious points — 
a miniature waterfall, Phantom Chamber, Diamond Grotto, and huu- 
dreds of other remarkable features, that to describe justly would 
take more room than our space affords. Xo one visiting the Dells 
should fail to see this wild, weird and tortuous Gulch. It challenges 
the admiration of all who see it, with its strange, marvelous, startling 
grandeur. 

The Islands. — From the entrance to the Dells, or "upper jaws," 
we have an elegant view of the river, bluffs and islands for a long dis- 
tance. This view is often compared to a similar scene on Lake George. 
Here the river " spreads itself" all over the country, as it were, and is 
full one-half mile in width and very shallow, the water in summer 
being not over one or two feet in depth. About three-fourths of a 
mile from AVitches' Gulch we find, on the left bank, a number of inter- 
esting points, which can be reached with small boats, except in very 
low water, bj- ascending Blazier's Creek, emptying into the river at 
the foot of Blazier's Rock. A narrow but easily accessible pathway, 
amid ferns and shrubbery, leads up along the side of the hill to that 
curious natural phenomenon, 



Hornets' Nest, T\-hich has the shape and, at a short distance, the 
general appearance of an immense hornets' nest. It serves as a pillar 
in front of a natural portico, the rock having in the course of time been 

washed out, leaving a flat roof 
overhead, with tlie Hornets' 
Nest as its princijjal support. 
Passing through the archway 
formed by this singular rock, 
we ascend and follow the hill- 
side for a few rods, and pres- 
ently stand in 

Luncheon Hall. — The . 
waters have at some remote 
period sweptthrough here with 
great force, wearing a passage 
through and under the rocks, 
and leaving the tlat rocks 
which formerly stood at the 
"topof the heap " asa natural 
roof for the hall, which is of 
considerable extent, and a 
favorite place for picnic parties. 
The roof has a single break, a 
few inches wide ; otherwise it 
is perfect; and the rocks which 
support it furnish convenient seats and tables. 

Located on the top of a ridge, the hall presents a grand appear- 
ance to the spectator at a distance, and commands a fine view of the 
river. Once within its massive portals, awe gives place to curiosity, 
and the visitor finds jdeasure in observing the odd shapes which the 
rocks have assumed under the slow but persistent action of the cur- 
rent which once swept the Wisconsin Valley, leaving its impress on 




STAND ROCK. 



every hill, and cutting its way through the rocks until it formed the 
romantic channel through which the river now runs. A short dis- 
tance from Luncheon Hall, we find the wonderful 

Stand Eock.— To reach this, we ascend the l>ank a short distance 
and follow along the edge of the ridge, coming to the rock upon the 
upper side. People with sufficient nerve, and not having an immedi- 
ate fear of the hereafter, can reach the top of the Stand by a leap of 
some eight feet. If you miss your footing you will probably fetch up 
forty feet below. The top of Jhe. rock— a large sandstone slab— is 
nearly as level as a floor, and its superficial area is about eighteen by 
twenty-four feet. A pathway leads to the foot of it, and the view from 
below is more interesting than that from above. The water-rounded 
column which supports the superpoised tablet is of rather irregular 
shape and is forty-six feet high. With the neighboring rock a sort of 
arch is formed, somewhat resemblingthe cavernous opening at Lunch- 
eon Hall. All around is a scene of beauty. The hills are covered with 
trees clothed with magnificent summer foliage; a fine farm, trees and 
shurbs spread out up-riverward, and the glen is full of ferns and flow- 
ers, in gorgeous profusion. A part of a day devoted to this locality is 
time well spent. 

This ends this brief and imperfect description of the principal 
points in the Upper Dells. But the tourist will find along the entire 
way, from the steamer's landing to Stand Rock, hundreds of other 
curious and interesting points that are not named or laid down on the 
map. In the vicinity of Stand Rock is the Squaw's P.ed Chamber, a 
curious cave in the hillside, Vizor Ledge, and many others, all of 
which should be visited. 

To reach the interesting objects at the head of the Dells, such as 
SUnd Rock, Luncheon Hall, etc., that are not easily reached by 
steamer, the tourist can employ a carriage and enjoy a few miles' ride 
through the woods. It is a most pleasant feature for a day's en- 
joyment. 



U 



Zhc Xower DeUs. 



Your stay at the Dells will not be complete unless you visit the 
Lower Dells, which extend for three miles below the village. The 
river here is broader and the banks present a greater diversity of 
bluft' and bottom; but the character of the rocks composing the banks 
is the same, and a similar though varied succession of curious and 
pleasing forms is presented. The rocks, as in the Upper Dells, have been 
worn and hollowed and rounded into every imaginable shape except 
thatof " Rock Me to Sleej);" we aj-e almost sure that some close ob- 
server will yet discover " Rock the Cradle " somewhere in this vicin- 
ity. In some places great shelves, with stalwart young pines growing 
upon their very edges, overhang the dark waters; elsewhere perpen- 
dicular walls loom up like the front of some vast fortification, and a 
little further on a similar -wall is supplanted with coigns, bastions, 
projecting towers and covered archways; again the rocks are rounded 
at their bases so as to resemble the sterns of small vessels— much in- 
ferior in size and appearance to the ponderous hulks at the Navy Yard 
in the Dells above. Then the rocks slope gently downward to the 
green, grassy vale, where a pretty farm gives charming variety to the 
panorama, and on the opposite side broad bottom, where Newport 
once stood in her pride, now interesting in her remarkable decay 
Farther down the river are the more noted objects which claim the 
attention of tourists, and which we will attempt in our way to de- 
scribe when we get to them. 

The lofty banks here, as in the Upper Dells, are crowned with a 
luxuriant growth of trees, shrub, plants and grass. The first attrac- 
tion after leaving the landing is 

Echo Point. -Standing upon the rocky cliflf where the tunnel from 
Taylor's Glen comes out from under the railroad, anv unusual eJeva- 
tion of the voice brings a prompt and distinct response from the 

12 



massive, smooth-faced cliff opposite, every word and tone being re- 
peated with surprising clearness and accuracy. A little farther down 

and on the same side of the river, is 
Bear's Cave. — It is a hole in the 

rock with a cleft extending out to the 

edge of the cliff, and thence downward 

to the water's edge, the cave forming 

a recess near the top, into which you 

may descend if you choose; but you 

will find it bare, the bear having moved 

away some time ago. From the rift 

grows a large pine, which does not seem 

to pine much for Bruin's company. A 

little further down on the same side, is 
Chimney Rock.— A little less in size 

than the one up the river, but greatly 

resembling it in situation and appear- 
ance. Then comes the Pulpit, standing 

near the water's edge and shaped like 
the sacred desk in some sanctuaries. 
Below this on the river, but above it in 
height, is 

Obsekvation Point, standing upon 
which you obtain a magnificent view, 
both up and down the river and across 
the country for miles toward the south. On the opposite side is 

Stultz Rock, once a terror to the raftsmen, and so named for one 
of them whose raft struck it and went to pieces, leaving him clinging 
to one of the crags of the rock all night in a terrible storm. Here, 
too, is 

The Hawk's Bill, showing against the sky at the top of the cliff 
as you approach it from either up or d..wn the stream, very like the 
wide-open beak of a bird of gigantic proportions. This spot, too, was a 




HAAS'K'S BILL. 



Sic.NAL Peak, upon wbich the red men used to light their signal 
fires to warn their people up and down the river of the approach of 
enemies or the coming of a friendly tribe. A little way back from 




SUuAU UOWI.. 



here is the summer home of Mk. S. H. Kekfoot and family. Mr. Ker- 
foot is one of Chicago's most respected and -well-known citizens, who 
here finds health and recreation in making the desert bloom as a gar- 
den. His premises have a river frontage of quite a mile down the 
stream from a short distance above StultzRock, embracing much of the 
finest of the scenery in the Lower Dells and which afford him and his 
friends great pleasure, not, however, to the exclusion from its beauties 
of anyone who would not mar or injure its attractions. Proceeding on 
on our way past the old Town of Newport, on the right, we come to 



StUAR Bowl, which stands out in the stream, as cleverly moulded 
as one could wish. The shape of this singular freak of nature is very 
true to its name. We pull around it, liut despair of getting at the 
inside of it, because the lid is on tight, and held down by a miniature 
forest of pines. 

Cave OF THE Dark AVaters is in Grotto Rock, just to the right of 
Sugar Bowl, a cavern which you can go into and through with a rciw 
boat and see other openings or passageways that are too small and 
crooked to get a boat through. The cave was sometimes called by the 
Indians "Place of the Nah-hu-nah," (sturgeon). A few rods down a 
channel of the river, that is dry during the low water in summer, is 
another and smaller cave, which is easily reached liy a short walk and 
well repays the trouble. We have seen nothing in this vicinity more 
curious and wonderful than this rock, the outer walls and internal 
caverns of which show the shaping eflfects of different currents and 
eddies of water. Mr. Bennett has secured fine stereoscopic views of 
the rock and its recesses. 

The Inkstand next claims our attention. At first view it seems a 
counterpart of the Sugar Bowl, but we soon perceive a difi'erence. The 
rock, entire at the top, parts a little way down, and the passage tap- 
ering gradually is, at the water, wide enough to admit a small canoe. 
It is, you perceive, a counting-house inkstand, with two compartments, 
the larger for black and the smaller for red ink. It bristles on top with 
small pines, which, with the aid of an india rubber imagination, may 
be taken for quill pens, wherewith in the golden age, when the gods 
practiced the ways of men. Mercury wrote heavy leaders, and Minerva 
love stories, poetry and paragraphs for the Olympian Thunderer. Per- 
haps some classical c-codger may laugh at us for assigning such literary 
trifling to the Goddess of Wisdom. Laugh, then, and gather fatness 
on the ribs! Did not Solomon indite to his Ethiopian Queen a love- 
song so sweet and suggestive that the church accepts it as inspired 
from on high? Did he not deal in witty sayings and pungent para- 



IS 



graphs which the itemizer of tu-day, with the aid of the medical 
almanacs, vainly attempts to imitate? Did not St. Peter strike the 
liar— dead? Have not wise men in all ages turned to light literary 
work as a relaxation? Very well, then. Cease digression! We 
cannot carry away this inkstand, it is too firmly fixed and heavy to be 
removed; so we again turn our prow down stream to 

Lone Rock, which stands in massive majesty mid-river, smiling 
with its summer chaplet of verdure upon the tawny flood that washes 

its feet. It is a broad oval in 
shape. We cannot give its 
exact dimensions. As we ap- 
jiroach we find that its sides 
are perforated with caverns, 
into the largest of which you 
can go to the center and 
through the rock. 

There is much else of in- 
terest in a trip to the Lower 
Dells, in fact, every rod of 
the river and its shores are so, 
though in no place so narrow 
as the Xarrows, and without 
any Witches' Gulch or Cold- 
water Canon of the Upper 
Dells, unless you are willing 
to take a walk of a mile from 
the river at one place to 

Congress Hall, a very re- 
markable and curious rock 
LOOKING OCT OF CAVE IN i.o.NK ROCK. ^'^'^ Similar to the Cauou and 

Gulch. The best way to reach 
it, however, is by carriage and return through the pretty Village of 
Delton, which is near by. Here, too, is 




MiKitoR Lake, celebrated for its scenic beauty in rock formations 
and liewildering reflections. The stories of truthful parties of the ex- 
cellent bass and pickerel fishing there, are often fully proven by the 
fine strings offish they show. 

Taylor's Glen.— Just a pleasant walk at the southern limits of 
Kilbourn, is a choice bit of the beautiful which no tourist should fail 
to visit. You can do the Glen in a before-breakfast walk, and so while 
you enjoy a half-hour of the rarest scenery hereabouts, you can at the 
same time cultivate an appetite for steak and eofiee, which will make 
breakfast a delight. While down there don't fail to go through the 
tunnel to the riverside, and challenge the saucy echo which shouts 
at everybody who says a wi;>rd tliere. 







LONE ROCK. 



Curiosities of Adams and Juneau Counties. — Northwest from the 
Dells for thirty or thirty-five miles, and along the line of the Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, plainly seen from the car windows, 

are man}' strange rock 
formations to interest 
the traveler, varying in 
height from fift}' to one 
hundred and tifty feet, 
rising perpendicular 
from the level country 
like castles or fort- 
resses, made up of 
towers, columns and 
pillars so like the work 
of man as to almost 
bring the belief that 
they were built by 
some ancient race of 
people. You can take 
a morning train at Kil- 
bourn and go to Camp 
Douglass, near where 
are situated some of 
the most interesting of 
these formations, 
among which are the " Giant's Castle," " Phantom Cathedral," "Bee 
Bluff," "Giant's Tomb," "Pillar Rock" and "Target Bluff," and return 
in the evening, if you desire. If your visit should be in June or July 
you would likely find some one of Wisconsin's four Infantry Regi- 
ments of National Guard in camp, learning all the arts of war possible 
without the actual thing, in which they are sometimes joined by a 
troop of " regulars." The rifle range at this camp is said to be one of 
the best in this country, and our Badger soldiers have become very 




PILLAR KOCK. 



proficient in target practice ; dress parade each evening attracts crowds 
from all directions and quite long distances, both by railroad and 
teams. North from the Dells, through a good part of Adams County, 
there are a great many quite as remarkalile rocks as those northwest, 
but not as easy of access. Without doubt all the region above men- 
tioned has been a lako that has been drained away by the Wisconsin 
River in cutting its way through the bluffs once constituting its south- 
ern shore and thence to the Mississippi, and what an interesting lake 
it must have been, dotted at frequent intervals with these castles and 
towers standing high and imposingly above its surface. 

The studentof geologj' will certainly find the whole region worthy 
of investigation, and particularly in the fossil markings found in thf 
rock near New Lisbon. 




GIANT'S CASTLE. 



IDcvU's Xahc. 



Xahc fIDason. 



This remarkable sheet of water has been so often described that 
it will be almost unnecessar}' to refer to it in these pages. It is situ- 
ated about seventeen 
miles from Kilbourn 
and three from Bara- 
boo, Sauk County. It 
is peculiar to itself, and 
is unrivalled in pictur- 
esciue grandeur, and 
next to the Dells is 
the most charming re- 
sort in Wisconsin. 
There is an elegant 
hotel over there at the 
north eiui of the lake, 
the Cliff House, where 
tourists will tint! every 
comfort, while at the 
south end of the lake 
is situated Kirklaud, 
with its wine cellar, 
and row of pretty little 
cottages near the 
beach, for the use of 
iiEviT.e DooK WAY. thoso who may wish 

to spend iheir vacation at this most delightful resort, and which 
is under the direction of the owner, Mr. N. C. Kirk, a genial, courte- 
ous gentleman. A fine little steamer, row boats, picnic grounds and 
many facilities for enjoyment can be had there. A carriage ride from 
Kilbourn to the lake is very enjoyable. 




About seven miles fn^m Kilbourn is Briggsville, in Marquette 
County — a quiet, })retty village, having a store or two and an excellent 
hotel. Here, also, is the celebrated Lake Mason, where the disciples 
of Izaak Walton can S[iend a most delightful day in fishing or troll- 
ing for i)ickerel and black bass. The poud is two miles in length by 
one mile in width. The water is pure and cool. 

Jordan Lake is some fourteen miles from Kilbourn, in a north- 
easterly direction, and is represented as being excellent fishing 
grounds. Goose Lake is a fine sheet of water in the same neighbor- 
hood. Crooked Lake is some miles further along, and both contain 
excellent fish. Duckel's Lake is some seventeen miles from Kil- 
bourn, and abounds in fish. These lakes are all in Adams County. 



Xtbvouob the IDells. 



BY PERMISSION OF F. O. WIENER. 



BY JOH^ CLERKC. 



I. 

Summer punliLiht, warm and tender, glowed with splendor ou the wave 
As the eniwded steamer plowed it, with a fare of I'air and l)ra\-e; 
Freij,'hted witli a wealth of beauty, weighted with a world of love, 
Bosoms lighter, faces brighter, ne'er were smiled on frmu aljove. 
Joyousl)' our hearts were beattug, as the fleeting waters fled 
Swiftly past her, as yet faster toward the Jaws tiie DM Quixn sped. 
From her splashing paddh's rolled the flashing waves in seething swell;-:. 
As she bore us where before us lay the wild Wisconsin Dells. 

And a beautiful maiilen from Baraljoo, 

With eyes like voilets bathed in dew, 

Close to her Kilbourn lover drew, 
And gazed in silent wonder. 

II. 

Weird and strange all ! Here the Angel once displayed her carven 

form ; — 
She has vanished— rudely banished by the angry flood and storm. 
All around there, where abound their homes within the brown clilf's 

breast, 
Swallow's twitter as they flit, or circling seek the rock-hewn nest. 
High Rock, towering, lifts his lowering front o'ergrown with flrs and 

fern; 
Opposite, Uomance Cliff, frowning grim, looks down in aspect stern. 
C^himney Hock, a shajie tiintastic, formed by plastic Nature's hands. 
On a jutting rcick almttiug, quaint and solitary stands. 
And the beautiful maiden from Baraboo, 
With cheeks like a delicate peach in hue, 
Was charmed at once by the singular view. 

And exclaime<l, ''Well, now, I newr ! '' 



III. 



Standing here by Allen's Landing is the Dell House gray and old ; 
Trees above it — sure tliey love it — graciously their green arms fold. 
Gray and lonely ! Once the only inn throughout this region found. 
How its rafters rung with laughters when the raftsmen were around! 
Onward steering, we are nearing Chapel Gorge, where looking down. 
As inviting to unite in worship, stands the Cliapel brown. 
Pause and wimder miw, where under rocky arches dim and low, 
Slowly floating a small boat in, tlirnugh the Boat Cave we may go. 

And the KilbdUrn j'outh, whose heart was true, 

To the beautiful maiden from Baraboo, 

Said to her — "Darling, let's I and you — " 
Said she — "O dear, you're so sudden ! " 



IV. 

Swiftly swerving round the curving channel here in Circle Be 
Xavy Yard's stout fleet is prom])t to meet us, whether foe or 
Eaton's Grotto pleases all (or ought to) who upon it look. 
But their time they hlly squander who long ponder Sturgeon 
Here the twilight glooiii of Skylight Cave is lighted through a 
AVe may view it well as through it in a little boat we drift. 
We sball missitif we visit nut the famous Gates' Ravine, 
AVhere a hundred curious objects to be wnndered at are seen. 
And tlie Kilbourn lover, so fund and true. 
His li]is to the ear of the maiden drew, 
And whisi)ere<l — "Dear, it's as pretty as — ;/«", 
And one dav we will go there." 



nd, 
friend, 

Rock, 
rift— 



18 



V. 

lUist.cu l)y it ! Go not iiigb it ! 'Tis tlic Devil's Klbow named; 
Those strong sinews ouee brouglit in use, e'en Hie boldest would be 

tamed. 
Here old Black Hawlc on his jiony leaped from stony bank to bank, 
And eluded his jmrsuers, in secluded cavern dank. 
This strange tower, witli tree and tiower ups])i'ingiug from its topmost 

stone. 
Rattlesnake Rock — now no rattle warns that battle must be done. 
Xot(di Rock here, the I'aftsinen's terror — slightest errcjr causes wreck, 
When from Sliding Ruck swift gliding scarce their uiad career they 
check. 

And the beautiful maiden from Baraboo, 
Was somewhat slartlisd, and puzzled, too. 
As the l>c!l (jiu'cii steadily puslied on through 
The rapid and intricate IS'arrows. 

VI. 

Artists' Glen is full of grandeur, could we land here to explore. 
But we're brought to the Coldwater Canyon, further up the shore. 
Much admire we, never tire we, of tlie s<-enery new and strange, 
Deep glens, e'harming yet alarming, beyond fancy's wildest range. 
Half tlie rugged ]iatli wi' tread in mcks o'erhi'ad in tlireat'ning guise, 
Frowning coldly, bend down boldly, till we half avert our eves; 
But we reach tlie monstrous Devil's Jug. (What revels wild were held 
When this vessel was the wassail pitcher of tlie hends of eld? J 
But the beautiful maiden from Baraboo, 
With a confident look in her eyes so blue. 
Clung to her lover the whole way through, 
Nor showed a sign of terror. 

VII. 

Jug stupendous ! what tremcndt)us power hath formed and placed thee 

here ? 
Was't some Titan who of old time took delight in wine or l)eer? 
tir with whisky were they frisky who were wont their cares to float 
Gn the [irecious li(pior jioured fmm tliy capacious, gurgling throat ? 
Did they guzzle frum tlie no/./.le? or did eai'li one liav<' a mug, 
As thev qualfed full mauv a draught, and laugheil and frolicked round 

the Jug'.' 
Did they drink it then with "sweet'nin' in," au<l think it "powerful 

uiV-e " 
In the winter with hot water, and in hotter days with ice ? 
But what cared the maiden from Baraboo 
What those olil tiiiplers used to do, 
So long as shi' bad her lover true 

From Kilbourn close beside her? 



VIII. 

jNIighty iiitcher! were we ricber — luit we stifle the fond thought; 

The crusaders would invade us, kept we such a Jug-o'-naught; 

So we sever. I'p the river other marvels on us wait: 

Devil's Arm Chair, late in wliich old Satan satin solemn state; 

Clam Bank, which no clams are found in, not abounding in the West; 

Ruffle Rock, wdiose ruffles would of kissing scuffles stand tlie test; 

Steamboat Kock, a packet stately, though not lately in the trade; 

Rood's Glen, oval-shapeil, and novel in the (juaintnesses disjdayed. 

And the kilbourn lover, so honest an<l true, 

Whis|iered tlie maidi'u from Baraboo, 

"If ynu love me as i love you. 

We'll be married in Rood's Glen some day." 

IX. 

Honey Bee Spring, which on sunny days the honey-makers seek; 

Eagle Point, a feature striking, shapen like an eagle's beak; 

Arch Cove, fairy bower airy, famed for Petriaqua well; 

Witches' Gulch, wild and" enchanting — weird folk haunting herein 

dwell; 
Hornet's Nest, from Cliff susjiended, semblance splendid, grand and 

tall ; 
Luncheon Hall, an open cavern — basket tavern, free to all; 
Stand Rock, or the De'il's Tea Table — if you're able, on it spring! 
Many mure surjirising features of Dame ISature's might we s'ug. 
But the beautil'\il maiden from liaraboo 
And her Kilbourn lover, su fund and true, 
Have sat them down to bill and coo, 
Like a pair of turtle doves ! 

X. 

How were all those wondrous objects formed among the pond'rous 

rooks ? 
Some j)rimeval grand u]iheaval shouk the land with frequent shocks ; 
Caverns yawned and fissures wideneil ; tempests strident fllled the air; 
Tiladiv urging foaming surges thruugli tlie guiges opened there; 
Withfree motion tuward the ocean, rolling in imjietuous course. 
Rushing, tumbling — crushing, erundiliug rocks with their resistless 

force; 
And the roaring waters, pouring on in ever broad'ning swells. 
Eddying, twirling, seething, whirling, formed the wild Wisconsin 
■ Dells! 

O beautiful maiden from Baraboo, 

An(l Kilbourn lover, so tender and true, 

AVe must bid you now a tearful adieu; 

But we hope to be there with the parson. 



XLhc %CQcnb of the IRomance Cliff. 



BY PERMISSION OF F. O. WISNER. 



It is matter of history tliat pomething less than a hundred years 
ago the late John Jacob Astor, in the prosecution of his gigajitic 
scheme to control the fur trade of the world, established a line of 
trading posts along the western shore of Lake Michigan, with sub- 
statious at convenient distances from tlie main line, on the principal 
rivers of the region then known as "Ouisconsiu." 

Among these outposts, was an important one at Fort Winnebago, 
near the site of the now thriving City of Portage. At the time of 
which we write, Astor had in his employ at this point about twenty 
men — trappers, traders, interpreters, packmen, etc. It was customary 
at certain seasons of the year to send out a party of six or eight men 
from the fort, to visit the various Indian camps within reach, for the 
purpose of encouraging tfie^chiefs to exert themselves to collect as 
man)' furs as possible during the season, and to promise them good 
prices for the same, upon delivery at the fort. Some one of the more 
intelligent of tlie employes was ordinarily placed in charge of such 
detachment, with the temporary rank and title of captain. 

In the summer of 17— , a party of this sort set out from the fort, 
under command of a new recruit, named Jean Baptiste De Riviere, 
who passed for a Canadian half-breed. This man, familiarly known 
among his comrades as ''Handsome John," was a verv intelligent 
young man, was well educated in French and English, and possessed' 
all the shrewdness of an Indian, combined with not a little French 
sauvity of manners. He was a pleasant, companionable fellow, full of 
chat concerning all else save himself, but on this subject he was 
reticent. 

The destination of the party under De Riviere was the portion of 
"Wisconsin now included within the bounds of the Towns of Newport 
and Delton, and its special mission to visit Wau-hat-tan, an influential 
chief of the Winnebago Indians. During a portion of each year, and 



especially during the tishing season, AVau-hat-tan with a part of his 
tribe occupied the low ground on the right bank of the Wisconsin 
River, opposite the site of the present Village of Kilbourn City. The 
spot is known among people in this region now as " Hurlburt Flats," 
and is still annually occupied for a season by the degenerate posterity 
of the old chief. 

After aleisurely tramp along the lieautiful shoresof the Wisconsin, 
De Riviere's party reached the camp of Wau-hat-tan early in the after- 
noon of the second day. Most of the party were old trappers and had 
made frequent visits to the Winnebago camp, but the Captain, being a 
new hand, had never met with thistrilie before. After the customary 
salutations, the old chief, attired in his best, beckoned the Captain to 
a seat on the mat covered ground, inside his wigwam. Here, through 
the medium of an interpreter, they held a long conversation, chiefly 
concerning the power and wealth of the " Great pale face, Astor," and 
of the wonderful things he had done and promised to do for his brother, 
" the great Wau-hat-tan." De Riviere did his best to impress the old 
chief with the importance of gathering much fur for his employer, and 
by liis skillful address so won the confidence Of his host that he was 
assigned the best quarters the camp afforded, with a squaw specially 
selected to wait upon him. The talk being over, De Riviere was con- 
ducted to his quarters, and the comely, gaudily dressed Lo-wel-li-ta 
(familiarly called "Lo"*) followed to prepare his supper. Stretched 
at his ease on a couch of ferns covered with bear-skin, the Captain 
rested from his tramp, while his attendant busied herself at the camp 
fire over a mysterious stew, the savory odor of which already began to 
sharpen the ajqietite of the luingry man. His increasing desire to 
test the flavor of the viands, called his attention to the process of prep- 
aration, and, with the eye of a Frenchman, he began to note the pecu- 

* It is a remarkable coiucidence that l*ope has adopted this name for his Indian 
in the "Essay ou Man." 



liarly jrraccful figure which Ptooped over the fire. Directly, as she 
turneil toward tlie wigwam, he cauglit a frlimiise uf the features of the 
maiden, aud was so iuipressed with the inarlct-d refinement and heauty 
of the face, that his interest in tlie cuisine gave place to a new interest 
in the cook. A few more stirrings and geasi>nings of the broth, and 
supper was ready. With the graceful air of a lady, the girl — for such 
she evidently was, and that not beyond her twenty-second yoar^ 
beckoned our captain to the rare camp table, being nothing less than 
her own hands. As she passed him a rude dish of steaming pottage, 
John admired the finely moulded arm and the delicate tajjer fingers. 
His natural politeness suggested an English "thank you," and he 
thought, as he caught her eye, that it was not an Indian eye, and he 
was sure that beneath all her paint the maiden blushed. Our captain 
himself possessed an attractive, manly face and figure, and had a 
right to his camp sobriquet, though the name seemed little to his taste, 
and its general adoption among his companions evidently annoyed 
him. As he sat there vis-a-vis with the waiting damsel, the suspicion 
became so strong that she was something more than her surroundin; s 
indicated that he grew embarrassed in her presence, and despite his 
appetite, he maile but an uncomfortable supper. He wanted to speak 
to her, but he knew nothing of the Indian language, nor could he be 
at all certain that she knew French or English. Alter supper, how- 
ever, and while the simple table furniture was cleared away, he had a 
little time to think, and he determined to ascertain, if possible, if there 
was any ground for his suspicion. It occurred to him that it might not 
be prudent to address the girl in the presence or in the hearing of the 
Inilians, and, as they were so near by, deferred his attempt at conver- 
sation until a more favorab'e opportunity. An hour later, the dwell- 
ers in the wigwain nearest the one he occupied being out, he ven- 
tured to speak. The girl was just returning from the creek, where 
she had been for water, aud as she passed his door the Captain ad- 
dressed her in a low voice, in English: 

" Maiden!" he said, " are you really what you seem?" 



With a frightened glance toward the other wigwams, she placed 
her finger on her lips and gave him one pleading look, which was 
a suflicient answer to his question, with an added caution, by which 
he profited. The maiden hurried on aliout her work, and Jcihu 
ejaculated under his breath: " English, by J<jve, and blue eyed! I'll 
take her hint of silence just now, but I'll know more about this." 

So saying, he laid down, to bide his time. Night was ccmiing on, 
and there was an early moon. There was an opening under the side 
of the wigwam, and through this he watched for Lo-wel-li-ta, watched 
with the eagerness of a lover, and truth to tell, the heart of the man 
had experienced within the lasthour what was, to him, a new sensation. 

Let me tell the reader a little more abnut Handsome John. lie 
was a native of France, but his family moved to Canada in his chihl- 
hood. There was a quiet home by the river side, not far from Quebec 
— a home not of luxury, but of refinement and culture — ^and anan.xious 
household waited there for tidings of a wanderer. The only son of the 
family, kind and gentle, talented and amiable, was a restless adven- 
turer ; and, while the mother prayed tliat night, tlie boy for whom 
she prayed lay watching for the form of an Indian girl among these 
far-oflT Western wilds. 

Eager for excitement, the young man had pushed his way into the 
employ of the great fur dealer in New York, asking to be sent to the 
frontier ; and, with a hasty letter of good-bye to home and friends, he 
set out on the first expedition, and here we find him, peeping out 
into the moonlight from an Indian wigwam, and eagerly listening for 
a footfall which, nothing to him three hours ago, was yet so much to 
him now that his anxiety for its approach grew to wearisome impa- 
tience long before his ear caught the rustle of leaves from the grove 
just behind his couch. He started at the sound, but, remembering the 
warning of the maiden, he moved cautiously towanl the opening, to 
attract her attention, and, as she passed, quietly placed in her hand a 
leaf from his note-book, on which he had written : 

" I am your friend. Can I serve you ? If so, command me. 

" Your servant, 

"John B. De Eivieke." 



21 



He thought that the girl was deeply agitated, and that she trem- 
bled as she passed; but, renewing the sign of silence, she passed on, 
and he lay tossing and thinking till late in the night, but at last he fell 
asleep, and only woke when the sun came pouring full in his face and 
everybody abnut camp was astir, lie rose hastily, and, seeing some 
of his men on their way to the creek, followed them, and, having re- 
freshed himself with a bath, returned for his breakfast. Lo-wel-li-ta 
again attended him, but be could nut catch her eye, and dared not 
speak, so his breakfast, though excellent, was only half enjoyed. After 
eating, he paid a visit to the old chief, smoked a pipe with him, but 
made little conversation. "Waii-bat-tau made all the promises concern- 
ing bUisinesB that could be asked for, and, having distributed a few 
trinkers among the Indians, the Captain began his preparations for a 
visit to another camp, a mile awaj-. In giving directions to his men 
he took care to speak lond enough to be heard through all the wig- 
wams, shouting: , 

" Peter ! yiiu and Louis go on ahead and find a place close by the 
river to camp, and we'll use our own tent to-night." 

The quick ear of Lo-wel-li-ta caught the words of command, and 
she suspected that they were intended, in part, for her benefit. The 
Cajitain and his party were soon oil', and a half hour's stroll brought 
them to the bank of the river, just where the huge clifi's frown at each 
other across the narrow passage at the foot of the rapids. The two 
men who had been sent on ahead had selected a camp near the foot 
of the cliff. The tent was soon pitched, and all hands set to work to 
make themselves cumfortable. A fire was lighted directly, and their 
pork and bread, kettle and frying-pan were unpacked for use. One 
or two started off down the stream with fishing tackle, while the Cap- 
tain, with an interpreter, visited the Indian lodge near by. The day 
passed pleasantly, and when night set in the party, surrounding a 
huge camp-fire, made themselves merry for an hour or two with sung 
and story, and then all but the Captain lay down iu their blankets and 
were soon asleep. 

De Kiviere was busy with his own thoughts and hopes and expec- 



tations, and they all clustered just then around the mysterious maiden, 
Lo-wel-li-ta. It was near midnight, and the bright moon was pouring 
all its glory across the beautiful stream at his feet. A little wearied by 
watching, he lay, half reclining, by the fire, enjoying the charming 
prospect, when suddenly a quick shad(>w])assed close behind the tent, 
and a low voice reached his ear, with the brief sumumns, " Come." 
De Kiviere rose quickly to his feet. The shadow was gone, but a 
stealthy footstep rustling over the leaves guided him, and he followed 
till he reached the summit of the cliff. All was black and still. Then 
he caught the glimpse of a band beckoning him in the moonlight. He 
stepped forward a few feet toward the edge of the cliff, when suddenly 
a strong hand seized him b)' the throat, and, before he could offer any 
resistance, he found himself bound hand ami foot and thrust into a 
crevice of tlie rock in such a way that he could scarcely move a limb. 
A rough hand bound a licit of wampum about his face, which effect- 
ually jirevented his seeing or speaking aliove a whisper. " Ugh I 
stealee squaw me," said a voice close to his ear, and, after some further 
precautions to prevent his escape, the owner of the voice added: 
"Heap good place stay. Come again," with which comforting assur- 
ance old Wau-hat-tan, for he it was, stole stealthily away down the 
cliff. " "Well, well," thought the Captain, " this is a predicament, sure 
enough," and he began to struggle to free bis hands. But the old 
chief had done his work very thoroughly, and, after a severe effort, 
De Riviere gave up for the present and began to think. Let us leave 
him thinking, reader, .while we go back a moment to the camp of 
Wau-hat-tan. It seems that with true Indian precaution the chief had 
set an old squaw to watch the Captain and his attendant the night 
before, and she, understanding a little English, had caught the words 
De Riviere had spoken, noticed the scared look of the girl, and it was 
she, instead of Lo-wel-li-ta, who pas^d by in the moonlight and re- 
ceived the note, repeating the sign she had seen the girl use, so that 
De Riviere was completely deceived. All this was duly revealed to 
the chief, and the note jiassed over to him. This note was, of course, 
no use as proof, for no one there could read, but *iie old fellow's sus- 



picinns were aroUKC<l, and directly the fort parly bad loft the camp Lo- 
wel-li-ta was placed under strict surveillaucc. At nijilit, as \ve have 
seen, AVan-hat-tan sought his revenge for what he evidently considered 
an attempt to steal his squaw. 

After securing De Riviere the chief returned to his camp. lUiring 
his absence a party who had been out on a hunting expeditiiui liad 
eouie iu. They had called at the fort on their way in, and had ol)- 
tained, anx)ng their purchases, a too plentiful supply of tire-water. 
The Winnebagoes loved whisky then as well as they do now, and before 
morning old Wau-hat-tan and his whole camp were sound and fast in 
a drunken sleep. Lo-wel-li-ta was on the look-out, and watched 
with eager anxiety the etlect of the spirits till satisfied that all was 
safe, she stole softly away, and in a few moments stood beside the tent 
on the river bank. She suspected that there had been foul play, for 
she had heard Wau-hat-tan go away in the night and return. By a 
cautious survey of the camp she became satisfied that De Riviere was 
gone — but where? that was the question. She dare not wake the men 
to inquire, and, as it was growing light, she was about to return, when 
her quick eye caught sight of a bit of paper floating j)ast, just at the 
edge of the stream. She hastily descended the bank and picked it up. 
On it was written: "Onthecliff. Come quick. BeR." And, sooner 
than I can tell the story, the daring girl had scaled the rock and stood 
listening. A groan attracted her attention, and she hastened to the 
edge of the precipice, and there, in a crevice just below her, lay De 
Riviere. After a most painful exertion he had succeeded in freeing 
one hand, ajid had torn the wampum off' his face, but his body was so 
wedged in between the rocks, and his feet so bound together, that he 
could not help himself. With his free hand he had taken out his note 
book, and, having written a message on each of a score of leaves, he 
tore them out and threw them out upon the river, with the hope 
that some of them might be noticed and picked up by his ]iarty ; and, 
with this forlorn hope to cheer liim, he had struggled to free himself, 
but in vain, and he had just given up exhausted when Lo-wel-li-ta 
dropped down beside him. Without stopping for a word or even an 



exclamation, she cut the thongs which held his feet and dragged him, 
almost lifeless, to the brow of the cliff. He fell heavily as he reached 
the top, and lay insensible. The poor girl was in agony, but she was 
cool enough to know what was the matter, and what to do. She 
<]uickly loosened his clothing about the throat, and with hue hands 
dipped water from a jiool on the rock near her and sprinkled it in his 
face. Directly he opened his eyes with a start, and, seeming to take 
in the whole state of the case at a glance, he cried out: " Thank God," 
and then added, as his eye fell upon his brave deliverer: " Surely He 
has sent His angel to save my life." "No, not an angel, sir, at all, 
but only me," replied the girl in such pure English as revealed 
the fact that she was, as De Riviere had suspected, not a Winne- 
bago squaw, but an English lady. " Is it possible that you found 
one of the bits of paper in the river?" asked De Riviere. "Yes, 
here it is," she replied, producing it. "And it is a miracle that I 
discovered it, but there is no time for explanations now, for AVau- 
hat-tan will show you no mercy if he finds you again. I know tliis 
country, you do not; follow me." So saying, she helped him to rise, 
and then led off down the cliff, DeRiviere following as fast as he could, 
but slowly and painfully at best. Lo-wel-li-ta understood the habita 
of Wau-hat-tan and his band, and knew that none of them would dis- 
cover her absence or give her a thought, until the fire-water was all 
gone, and she remembered with such pleasure as the remembrance 
of whisky never gave before or since, that a larger supply than usual 
had been brought in. As they reached the foot of the cliff', i'r.e girl 
led the way by a circuitous path, so avoiding both camps, down to the 
mouth of the little creek, reaching there just as the sun was rising. 
Here, hid among the bushes, was a canoe, which was quickly launched, 
and DeRiviere unw'illiugly submitted to kneel amidships, and permit 
his fair companion to do the work. She dropped lightly into the 
stern, and with a few vigorous strokes of the paddle sent the light 
craft swiftly past the low ground and under the shadow of the cliffs 
below. "There," said the maiden, asshe blnshingly yielded the pad- 
dle to De Riviere, "now we can afford an introduction. You are the 



23 



I 



■3 






captain uf the f(jrt party, I liflieve, sir, and I am — well, not exactly 
wliat I seem, and my name is Margaret Stanhope. I am here and 
have thrust myself upon you, sir, in sheer desperation, as my first and 
only chance of escape from bondage — I pray your pardon, and now I 
am in your power. I believe I can trust you, but I beg you, as you 
fear God, help me out of my distress." During this spirited speech, 
there was a look in her dee]) blue e}'es which said as plainly as words 
could say it, " I am afraid I have forfeited your good opinion, sir, but 
I appeal to your honor as a gentleman, and I trust you, because I 
must." De Riviere kept his eyes fixed upon her face until she had 
finished, and then replied, more like a civilized lover than a frontiers- 
man: " ily dear lady, I believe I owe you my life; but were it not so, 
a lady in distress has a claim upon me, which, God helping me, I will 
never fail to honor. My name is De Riviere, and my business here 
you already know, but," added he, " may I be permitted to know 
something more of Miss Stanhope's history?" "Certainly," she re- 
plied, coloring a little, the name was so new to her, "but first, what 
are your plans?" " To go directly to the fort," he replied, " and it is 
probably safest and best to follow the river." " Very well," she re- 
plied, " as you think best, and now fer my story in brief. My father 
was a New Orleans merchant. Five years ago he visited the upper 
waters of the Mississippi, and with a foolish love of adveiiture, and 
not a little determined obstinacy, I fear, I earnestly begged to accom- 
pany him. He at first objected, but at length yielded to my importu- 
nity, for my mother died in my infancy and I was a petted, spoiled 
child. But let me make my story very short. I went with my father 
and saw him brutally murdered by the Sioux Indians. I fell into 
their hands a prisoner and lived with them until about a year ago. In 
a battle between the Sioux and Winnebagoes, the latter were victori- 
ous, and I, with other prisoners, was brought away to this region, 
reaching the present camp of Wau-hat-tan a little less than three 
months si" ■■^. I have been generally treated with kindness by the 
Indians; nave never met with a serious insult, nor any gross rudeness 
whatever. Why, God knows. It is He who has protected me while 



many poor creatures of my own sex have been most cruelly beaten 
and overtasked. On my arrival here I soon learned that there was a 
trading station near by, and I have been watching every day for an 
opportunity to escape, and here I am." 

The thought of what this brave girl had endured, brought tears to 
the Captain's eyes, and in a voice full of sympathy he thanked her 
for her story and her confidence. 

The sun was now well up, and hot, but they dare not stop. Keep- 
ing the boat under the shadow of the shore as much as possible, they 
hurried on, and a little past noon they reai'hed the fort landing and 
proceeded at once to the quarters of the commandant. There was 
not a little rude staring and some coarse jesting among the men who 
were lounging about when De Riviere passed iu with a Winnebago 
squaw, as she appeared to be, and Miss Stanhope felt it so keenly that 
she said to De Riviere, "I have been nearly five years with the In- 
dians, but never have I been so ill treated in my life before as by these, 
my own countrymen." A moment's conversation with Colonel Stim- 
son, the commandant, explained all, and in the hospitable home of 
Mrs. Stimson, our heroine dofted the habiliments of the forest for 
more fitting attire, and thougli some traces of paint remained a long 
time to remind her and others of the past, yet her new-found friends 
soon forgot the comely Lo-wel-li-ta in the beautiful form and face, and 
the yet more beautiful character, of sweet Jfaggie Stanhope. 

Here she lived till the autumn expedition to the lake, when she, 
longing for civilization, and Captain De Riviere longing for her, found 
their way to New York. Thence they journeyed to that quiet home 
on the Canadian river, and there in after days grandfather John told 
to Maggies of the third and fourth generations, the strange storj' of 
grandma Lo-wel-li-ta. 

This, reader, is the romance of the cliff over yonder, on your left 
as you enter the Dells from below. The story must be true, for it is 
vouched for by a number of very respectable descendants of the great 
Wau-hat-tan. 



